Girish Mahajan (Editor)

Pedetes

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Family
  
Pedetidae

Phylum
  
Chordata

Rank
  
Genus

Suborder
  
Anomaluromorpha

Scientific name
  
Pedetes

Higher classification
  
Pedetidae

Order
  
Rodent

Pedetes Pedetes capensis Springhaas

Similar
  
Pedetidae, Rodent, Mammal, Anomaluromorpha, Anomalure

Pedetes is a genus of rodent, the springhares, in the family Pedetidae. Members of the genus are distributed across southern and Eastern Africa.

Contents

Pedetes Pedetes capensis 1643 American Society of Mammalogists

Species

A number of species both extant and extinct are classified in the genus Pedetes. They include:

  • South African springhare or springhaas (Pedetes capensis)
  • East African springhare (Pedetes surdaster)
  • Pedetes laetoliensis (Davies, 1987) (fossil)

  • Pedetes Pedetes capensis 2246 American Society of Mammalogists

    Throughout the 20th century, the living species (and occasionally the prehistoric one) were merged into P. capensis, making the genus monotypic.

    Ecology

    Pedetes Image Pedetes capensis Cape Springhare BioLibcz

    These rodents are generally nocturnal and sleep through the day in burrows they dig. They feed on foliage, roots and other vegetable matter, and occasionally arthropods. Outside the burrow they usually move around by hopping on their hind legs.

    Pedetes httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

    When only one springhare species was recognized, it was listed as vulnerable by the IUCN in 1996 due to an approximately 20% decrease in the population over the previous ten years. This has been caused by intense hunting and the loss of habitat. However, the negative trend has not persisted, and both species are now listed as Species of Least Concern.


    References

    Pedetes Wikipedia